The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-16
WHAT DOES 1t REALLY MEAN
The Board of Trade Asks the Commits
sion to Interpret the Interstate Law,
Unfair and Unwarranted ExactiOns
of the Railroad Companies.

There were about fifty business men present
at the Board of Trade meeting. yesterday morn
ing to hear the supplemental report of the sub
committee appointed the day before, concerning
the local effects Of the interstate commerce law.
Mr.. W. F. Piel, chairman of the committee,
presented the report, which was as follows:
ITO the Board of Trade Of indianapolis:
Your committee would respectfully report
that the business of the city of Indianapolis. and
especially the manufacturing, wood working
grain, milling, lumber, pork and elevator inter
ests, are at present paralyzed. and will be per
manently crippled by the lack OF fair and legiti.
mate competition among the railroads, as the
result OF the interpretations put upon various
sections of the interstatecommerce act by the
railway companies and the schedule OF rates
thereupon adopted by them; and we recommend
that the Board of Trade of Indianapolis petition
the Interstate, commerce Commission to immedi-
ately interpret for US the second, third and
fourth sections. and that portion Of the twenty
second section which pertains to the issuance Of
mileage tickets.
Your committee finds that while the said
act positively prohibits pooling among the
railroads, yet. by the Interpretation put
upon the law by them, the railroads of
the country have a more cast-iron
pool than has ever existed before, actually cre-
ating under the new law what it was intended
should be absolutely prohibited by it. And be-
lieving that the conditions of the fourth clause
of said act are the most injurious to shippers,
and are made the basis for establishing, by the
railroads, of the schedule Of rates which is working
the greatest injury to the business of this city,
we would further petition the commission to
suspend the operation of the said clause, and
any and all other provisions of said act which may
conflict with free competition among the trans
portation companies of the country until such
time as Congress can meet and provide perma-
nent relief
''rhe committee would further recomm end
hat ali Of frav
the exactions of the railroads in regard to the
issuing Of mileage tickets. We suggest that
they either have no right to issue at all. which
we do not concede to be the intent of the law,
or. having the right to do so, We see no reason
for the advance above former rates of 500 per
one thousand miles. We take the position that
there IS no reason or authority for any increase
in rates, and that the same should not exceed
500 which we believe to be reasonable and Just,
and within the scope of the law, and that the is
suing of mileage tickets is permitted by Section
% of the act.
Your committee further recommend that
committee of three be appointed by this Board
of Trade. which, after securing further facts
and causes for complaints, such as may be
brought to their attention. shall be empowered
to go at once before the Interstate Commission.
and place before the commission, in the most
forcible manner, on behalf of this city and State
and the business interests of the country at
large, these and ali other matters concerning
the operation of the interstate-commerce law
which may be found detrimental to our inter
ests; the expense of said committee to be borne
by this Board of Trade"
The report was unanimously adopted, and
Messrs. Evans, Scott and Pratt were named as
the committee to go to Washington and lay the
action of the Board before the Interstate Com
Commission.
j. @. Van Wrinkle, of the Bee-line, who ad-
dressed the board briefly, in an interview, yester-
day, said he hoped the railroads would be re-
lieved of the imputation of having taken an un-
fair advantage of Indianapolis shippers in inter-
preting the interstatecommerce law. He said
the railroads were making tariffs as fast as pos
sible and he thought it would soon be seen that
the new rates would be more advantageous than
the old He said the Decline had just issued a
new tariff carload lots from local points on
all classes of low grade freight which were low
er than the old, and said that where lumber
rates for fifty miles into this city in car lots
We're formly cents, they are now l. coal, for
forty miles, was formerly 81, but is now rs
cents, and that less than lots the
rates are lower. He said that Inuch of the dis
satisfaction arises from the fact that agents can
not name rates to certain points, because as
soon as made, under the law, they would have
to be published, and therefore he must wait un-
til the tariffs can be authoritativeiy prepared 70
and from all points He conceded that discrim-
nations now exist, but he thought these would
in time be removed. BE cited the instance that
the sum of the rates from Nation to Indianap-
ellis and from Indianapolis to New York on grain
is now 3lt cents, while the direct rate to New
York from Nation is 27a cents. Indianapo-
lis grain merchants clearly cannot therefore
handle Nation business on local basis as
heretofore Special privileges heretofore &C
corded to shippers at important stations have
now been distributed TO all shippers. This is an
advantage to the producers, but harmful to the
distributing centers Mr.. Van Wrinkle though,
further that the law works some hardships upor
the railroad companies. For instance, at times
empty needed at certain centers. II
these are distributed over the road it has beer
customary instead of forwarding them empty
to load them with freight at such rates as could
be obtained. and to forward them loaded. Thi!
would now be prohibited.